Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec. 11 / Trend H.Hasanov /
The ongoing escalation of tensions in Afghanistan is serious obstacle to the implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, on which Ashgabat will host the intergovernmental negotiations on Saturday.
The project was supposed to be implemented since early nineties, when the operator was the American company Unocal leading an international consortium. The idea came to naught after the Taliban loudly declared itself in the transit country- Afghanistan, where a significant part of the pipe would be laid.
But, the project was again included in the agenda, especially when India joined it in 2008. The projects become more cost-effective with the increase of the sale markets. However, political risks have not diminished, given the sabotage occurred in Pakistan and the relations of Islamabad and New Delhi that are not so "perfect".
To ensure the energy transit security, Turkmenistan has recently voiced the initiative to adopt a UN Convention to ensure reliable and stable transit of energy, which was supported by the structure. In addition, Ashgabat announced its readiness to conduct peace talks under the auspices of the UN Stabilization Mission in Afghanistan.
"It is really important for Afghanistan," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in Ashgabat within the framework of his regional tour of Central Asia in April 2010.
He stressed that the UN stands for the TAPI gas pipeline.
"I hope that this project will also supported by other countries in the region," Ki-moon said. Today, his wish has acquired a certain reality. Today, the TAPI project participant countries voice political support to the project and discuss the intergovernmental agreement on it in Ashgabat.
Recently the U.S. Department of State expressed its support to the project. The proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline is a good example of how Turkmenistan's resources could benefit other countries in the region - especially Afghanistan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. State Department Susan Elliott said earlier.
"While many challenges remain, important steps are being taken, and we are encouraged by this progress. It is important to remember that pipelines are long-term projects with long-term horizons, and that the immense effort involved will produce long-term benefits for Turkmenistan and the region," she said.
Elliott said this project, if realized, would provide revenue and jobs for Afghanistan at a critical time in its economic development. TAPI would also provide clean fuel to the growing economies of Pakistan and India.
"TAPI's route may serve as a stabilizing corridor, linking neighbors together in economic growth and prosperity. The road ahead is long for this project, but the benefits could be tremendous and are certainly worthy of the diligence demonstrated by these four countries so far," she added.
In turn, Turkmen experts say that Ashgabat, ensuring long-term energy supplies to new markets, follows the strategy of "mutually beneficial terms of cooperation and optimal balance of interests".
The length of the TAPI could reach 1,680 kilometers, with a design capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The route is planned from the Turkmen Dovletabat fields through Herat and Kandahar (Afghanistan), via the districts of Quetta (Pakistan), to Fazlaka on the India-Pakistan border. According to Penspen previously prepared feasibility, the pipeline capacity can reach more than 30 billion cubic meters of gas a year, cost - $3.3 billion. It was reported that potential buyers - India and Pakistan are ready to buy much more gas. Therefore, the prices can be reconsidered.